I just want to be 100% sure on this because I've got a test today on government. So is Gerrymandering legal? Basically it is the carving up of electoral boundaries in order to manipulate the people who vote for you am i correct? But mainly is it legal?
Also, what session of congress are we in currently (may 2007), this would be Session 1?
And lastly "Describe the leadership of the senate. Describe the leadership of the HoR."
Thanks in advance
2007-05-18 06:18:25 · 2 answers · asked by tentoesdown 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Elections
Forgot some stuff, "What is the incumbency factor and how does it happen?
What are the big issues in congress 2007?
I took sloppy notes in this class. :<
2007-05-18 06:20:49 · update #1
It's legal. It's done by legislatures, afterall. But, it's not a matter of manipulating voter decisions, it's a matter of grouping voters that you predict will vote in your favor in the future into a majority district for yourself. In doing so, you probably end up giving the oppositions some majority districts as well.
In CA, our districts are gerrymandered, and the result is 'safe' districts that always elect candidates of the same part. The Democrats like it because it always gives them a majority, the Republicans because it gaurantees them some representation even though they're in the minority.
A ballot measure to end gerrymandering was so strongly opposed that both National parties - Republican and Democrat - spent hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat it!
2007-05-18 06:24:03 · answer #1 · answered by B.Kevorkian 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you are correct and no its not legal. I can't think of the name of the court case that made it illegal, but I think it was in 1965.
2007-05-18 13:23:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋